Jelena Dokic's troubled search for a career resurrection has led her to a coaching academy in Germany, but may not include a return to next month's Australian Open wildcard play-off at Melbourne Park, the scene of her homecoming last December.

Dokic has told Tennis Australia's director of player development, Craig Tiley, that she has only recently resumed from injury, so may not be back in Australia before the official start of the summer circuit in January. Tiley confirmed that Dokic had also inquired about the possibility of wildcards into local events.

"I told her the normal stuff, that we have the training camp play-off and then we'll probably have additional play-offs during the month of January, so if someone does well in the Hobart event, for example, they would be considered," Tiley said.

"She's indicated she wants to come back for the summer, but because she's starting late she's undecided whether she's going to come back at the end of the year for the play-off or come back in January and try to play her way through some of those events. It's 50-50, I think, right now."

The struggling 23-year-old, now ranked 617th, is apparently training with Martin Ruthner at the academy run by noted Croatian coach and former player Niki Pilic in Oberschlessheim, near Munich, amid wildly contrasting reports suggesting she is either planning to marry her Croatian boyfriend, Tin Bikic, or has split from him and been left desperate and penniless.

After winning the wildcard play-off last December and reuniting briefly with former coach Lesley Bowrey, the one-time No. 4 lost in the first round in Auckland, withdrew injured from the Canberra International, then was eliminated in the Open's first round by France's Virginie Razzano.

Since failing to qualify for Wimbledon in June, Dokic's tournament play has been limited to one satellite event, at Darmstadt in Germany, where she reached the quarter-finals.

"Jelena has been injured and out and has come back the last two months with more of a commitment," Tiley said. "She's working at an academy in Germany and says she is training hard every day and she's healthy now and making strides in the rankings."

If Dokic does play off for a wildcard, there will be no Tennis Australia assistance with flights or accommodation, that system having been replaced with one that rewards achievement over participation.